1 Thessalonians 5.1-8 (Epistle)

1Cât despre vremuri şi soroace, n-aveţi trebuinţă să vi se scrie, fraţilor. 2Pentru că voi înşivă ştiţi foarte bine că ziua Domnului va veni ca un hoţ noaptea. 3Când vor zice: „Pace şi linişte!”, atunci o prăpădenie neaşteptată va veni peste ei, ca durerile naşterii peste femeia însărcinată; şi nu va fi chip de scăpare. 4Dar voi, fraţilor, nu sunteţi în întuneric, pentru ca ziua aceea să vă prindă ca un hoţ. 5Voi toţi sunteţi fii ai luminii şi fii ai zilei. Noi nu suntem ai nopţii, nici ai întunericului. 6De aceea să nu dormim ca ceilalţi, ci să veghem şi să fim treji. 7Căci, cei ce dorm, dorm noaptea; şi, cei ce se îmbată, se îmbată noaptea. 8Dar noi, care suntem fii ai zilei, să fim treji, să ne îmbrăcăm cu platoşa credinţei şi a dragostei şi să avem drept coif nădejdea mântuirii.

Luke 20.9-18 (Gospel)

9Apoi a început să spună norodului pilda aceasta: „Un om a sădit o vie, a arendat-o unor vieri şi a plecat într-o altă ţară, pentru o vreme îndelungată. 10La vremea roadelor, a trimis la vieri un rob, ca să-i dea partea lui din rodul viei. Vierii l-au bătut şi l-au trimis înapoi cu mâinile goale. 11A mai trimis un alt rob; ei l-au bătut şi pe acela, l-au batjocorit şi l-au trimis înapoi cu mâinile goale. 12A mai trimis un al treilea rob; ei l-au rănit şi pe acela şi l-au scos afară. 13Stăpânul viei a zis: „Ce să fac? Am să trimit pe fiul meu preaiubit; poate că îl vor primi cu cinste.” 14Dar vierii, când l-au văzut, s-au sfătuit între ei şi au zis: „Iată moştenitorul; veniţi să-l ucidem, ca moştenirea să fie a noastră.” 15Şi l-au scos afară din vie şi l-au omorât. Acum, ce le va face stăpânul viei? 16Va veni, va pierde pe vierii aceia, şi via o va da altora.” Când au auzit ei cuvintele acestea, au zis: „Nicidecum!” 17Dar Isus i-a privit drept în faţă şi a zis: „Ce înseamnă cuvintele acestea care au fost scrise: „Piatra pe care au lepădat-o zidarii a ajuns să fie pusă în capul unghiului”? 18Oricine va cădea peste piatra aceasta va fi zdrobit de ea: şi pe acela peste care va cădea ea, îl va spulbera”.

Holy Prophet Habbakuk (Abbacum) (7th c. BC).

He prophesied in the time of Joachim, just before the Jewish people were taken into captivity in Babylon. He himself escaped captivity, and after Jerusalem was destroyed, returned to his homeland. Once he was taking some food to his harvesters when an Angel transported him to Babylon to feed the Prophet Daniel in the lions’ den, then bore him back to Judea (this is told in the full version of the book of Daniel, ch. 6 LXX). The third chapter of his prophecy is used as the Fourth Ode of the Matins Canon(the Ode is usually sung in full only in monasteries during Lent, but the eirmos of the Fourth Ode, sung in many parishes, usually refers to the Prophet). His holy relics were found through a revelation in Palestine during the reign of Theodosius the Great, and a chapel built there. His name means “Father of the Resurrection.”

Holy Martyr Myrope (Myropea) of Chios (251)

She was born in Ephesus. At baptism, she was consecrated by her mother to serve at the shrine of St Hermione, one of the four daughters of the Apostle Philip. Many pilgrims came to be anointed with a miracle-working myrrh that flowed from St Hermione’s body — and from her service at the shrine Myrope received the name by which she is known. Later, she and her mother went to the island of Chios to flee the persecution of the Emperor Decius.

When the holy martyr Isidore (May 14) was beheaded, Myrope secretly recovered his body and gave it honorable burial. The governor Numerius was furious, and ordered his soldiers to find the body or themselves be beheaded. Unable to let innocent people suffer for her act, Myrope presented herself to the governor and told him where she had buried the body. At Numerius’ order, the holy girl was tortured and thrown in prison. There a heavenly light illuminated her cell and St Isidore himself appeared to her with a company of angels, saying ‘Peace to thee, Myrope: thy prayer has ascended to God, and thou shalt soon be with us and receive the crown prepared for thee.’ Myrope, filled with joy, gave up her soul to God at that moment. One of the guards who had witnessed these events believed in Christ, and not long afterward was baptized and received a martyr’s death.

Our Holy Father Athanasius "the Resurrected," Recluse of the Kiev Caves (1176)

After many years of ascetic struggle, Athanasius died and was prepared for burial. After lying dead for two full days, he inexplicably came back to life: the monks who came to bury him were astonished to find him sitting up and weeping. The brethren gathered around him and asked him many questions about what he had seen of the next world, but he would only answer ‘Save yourselves!’ When they pressed him further, he said ‘If I told you, you would not believe me or want to listen to me.’ His final reply was ‘Repent every moment, and pray to the Lord Jesus Christ and to His most pure Mother.’ He then shut himself in his cell and lived another twelve years, taking only bread and water and never speaking again to anyone.

Saint (Stephen) Uroš, King of Serbia (1367)

“The son of King Dušan, he ruled during the difficult time of the fall of the Kindom of Serbia. Humble, pious and gentle, he refused to attempt to restrain the power of the powerful nobles by force. Amongst these was Vukašin, who brought about his death. Good King Uroš suffered a martyr’s death on December 2nd, 1367, at the age of thirty-one. Killed by men, he was glorified by God. His wonderworking relics were preserved in the monastery of Jazak in the Fruška Gora, whence they were taken to Belgrade in 1942, during the Second World War, and placed in the Cathedral beside the bodies of Prince Lazar and Despot Stephen Štiljanovic. During the reign of this benevolent king, the monastery of St Nahum was built beside Lake Ochrid by one of Uroš’s nobles, Grgur.” (Prologue)

Saint Porphyrios of Kavsokalyvia (1991) (Nov. 19 OC)

One of the true God-bearing Elders of our own time, he was glorified by the Church in 2013.